Judge: Children to stay in state custody after parents threatened to kill them

Published 4:23 PM EST Dec 07, 2012

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. -

A pair of children are in Florida and with a foster family after police said their parents threatened to kill them.

A judge decided that for now, 4-year-old Kristin and 2-year-old Kiah Firth will remain in state custody.

The parents, James and Mai Firth, were not in court this morning, but they hired an attorney to appear on their behalf who argued the children should be temporarily given to their grandmother. A judge denied that request.

The Firths traveled to central Florida to get treatment for Kristin, who is autistic. Officials said they made statements indicating if the treatment did not work or they ran out of money they would kill the girls and commit suicide.

When police went looking for the family they were not at the hotel where they claimed to be living.

Authorities finally tracked them to California on Wednesday, where the Department of Children and Families took custody of the girls.

"They were very anxious that the children be placed with the grandmother," said family attorney Judy Pierce. "They're driving across country to be with their children. They came here to get their daughter help at the Scott Center and that indicates to me people who care about their children."

The case will be back in court Monday afternoon and the Firths are expected to be there.

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